Literature Teaching and Learning Guide Box Set (Sec)

Meet the team

Vani Dorairaj, Leong Su Zhen, Pamela Ng, Meenakshi Palaniappan, Nithya Rajaratnam, & Zheng Kankan

About the innovation

The Literature Teaching and Learning Guide (TLG) 2019 is a four-book resource that supports the teaching and learning of secondary-level Literature. Each book focuses on a specific area of teaching and learning (content, literature-specific pedagogies, assessment, and planning). The TLG supports the implementation of key shifts recommended by the Literature Syllabus 2019.

While guides have always been a part of the resources that support our syllabus implementation, the TLG 2019 is unique as it features layout and presentation enhancements and relevant content updates. Designed for both individual and team professional development, the TLG 2019 is an accessible and user-centric resource that promotes confidence in teachers and strengthens the teaching and learning of Literature.

The four books in the Literature TLG 2019.

How it came about

The 2013 Teaching and Learning Guide (TLG) was rich, extensive, and accessible via OPAL, yet there was limited awareness of this resource. Once teachers became aware of it, they shared how useful it was. This motivated us to innovate the TLG 2019.

We identified areas for improvement through:

• Focus group discussions for the 2013 syllabus mid-term review

• Repository reports

• School visits

• Conversations with the teaching fraternity

• Working with the vendor on layout and presentation

Key processes

Step 1: Conceptualisation. The team reviewed past TLGs to identify relevant material for the 2019 version. We wanted to build on the strengths of TLG 2013, and reorganise the content to make it more intuitive for teachers.

Step 2: Development. The team ensured that the layout was engaging and the content accessible.

Step 3: Responding to user needs. The team constantly collected feedback from schools by sending them sections of the TLG to review, and by sharing prototypes at platforms like the implementation support workshops. The team also engaged the support of consultants from the National Institute of Education (NIE) to ensure that the guide was academically rigorous. Based on the feedback, we also created a TLG directory to make it easier for teachers to locate key resources and topics.

Step 4: Working with the vendor. The team worked closely with the vendor on:

• Colours and design (e.g., different colours for each book in the set for easy identification)

• Infographics to illustrate concepts (e.g., the writing and dialogue cycle)

An infographic depicting examples of writing and dialogue tasks.

Step 5: Implementation and circulation. Using the TLG in our workshops and projects increased its visibility. The team also came up with a dissemination plan to ensure that all teachers were informed about the TLG. Soft and hard copies were made available, and each school was given five sets, which meant that more teachers had hard copies to work with. Additionally, the team worked with NIE to distribute the TLG to pre-service teachers to support them from the get-go.

Overcoming challenges

The table below captures our challenges and how we attempted to solve them.

Graphics are used to support the understanding of concepts and strategies.

Other visual elements like comics are used as well.

Moving forward

To sustain this project beyond its implementation, we intend to:

• Use the TLG 2019 to inform future iterations of guides

• Further develop the resources mentioned in the Literature TLG to support specific professional learning needs (e.g., curating material from the four books in the TLG to support differentiated instruction)

• Use the TLG 2019 as a basis for other implementation support resources (e.g., definitions of literary concepts in the TLG being referenced in Student Learning Space resources)

• Use the TLG to develop resources to support emergent needs (e.g., support for full subject-based banding)

A resource found in the TLG that supports emergent policies on weighted assessment.

Other resource development teams can draw from our experience by:

• Applying the layout and design considerations that have been adopted by our team (e.g., cross-referencing existing resources)

• Emulating the team's resource development timeline and processes, to ensure attentiveness and responsiveness to user feedback

• Adopting similar plans for resource circulation and use (e.g., strategic use of resources in workshops, proactive provision of the product to key partners such as NIE and the English Language Institute of Singapore)